“He was so smug about it”- Amidst 'Joker: Folie à Deux' Bombing, Andrew Garfield Shares a Fresh Story of the OG Heath Ledger

Published 10/13/2024, 2:09 AM EDT

via Imago

The big screens have been bustling lately, crammed with performances that aim to be unforgettable, though some are best forgotten. While a few stars have already claimed their wins, others seem determined to drag iconic franchises like Joker: Folie à Deux down with them. Meanwhile, Andrew Garfield waits in the wings, reflecting on Heath Ledger’s explosive portrayal of the Joker, a brilliance that still casts a shadow over Gotham’s latest cinematic catastrophe.

In a twist of irony, Garfield finds himself discussing Ledger’s bombastic Joker just as Folie à Deux sets a new standard for flopping while admitting how he himself has made an effort at practicing his greatness.

Andrew Garfield remembers Heath Ledger

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As Andrew Garfield steps into another pair of emotionally weighted shoes for his role in We Live In Time, the actor has been candidly discussing his acting journey so far, and this brought him to the priceless time he spent on The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus set with Heath Ledger. In his interview on Happy, Sad, Confused with Josh Horowitz, the actor recounted how he had worked with Ledger right off The Dark Knight. Garfield remembered the actor with unmeasurable fondness as he laughed and said, "He was so smug about it," referring to Heath Ledger's confidence in his portrayal of Joker.

via Imago

Garfield spoke about how Heath Ledger was the kind of actor who believed in channeling whatever came and specifically referred to it as the "beacon" sort of method. Yet to cement his position in the industry at that time, the kind of energy was infectious for a young Andrew Garfield who, according to his own admission, was worried about looking good rather than having fun with the scene at hand. This is contrary to where he stands now, willing to cite even immensely personal struggles if it means doing justice to the role.

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Not only was Andrew Garfield inspired by Heath Ledger as he saw him perform, but also took tidbits of the same and incorporated him into his own performance.

Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man was inspired by Heath Ledger's Joker

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While auditioning for any role is no easy feat, auditioning for the role of a superhero, especially one that is spandex-clad, is a whole different story. And Andrew Garfield, despite all the greatness that he oozes, is but human. Therefore, as he slung his shot at Spider-Man the actor revealed that he was a nervous wreck and ultimately what worked for him was the "beacon" method where he would simply open the channel and allow things to flow instead of being nit-picky about every detail.

Bildnummer: 55679297 Datum: 04.08.2011 Copyright: imago/EntertainmentPictures RELEASE DATE: July 3, 2012. MOVIE TITLE: The Amazing Spider-Man. PICTURED: SALLY FIELD as May Parker and MARTIN SHEEN as Ben Parker and ANDREW GARFIELD (R) as Peter Parker / Spider-Man 2012 – The Amazing Spider-Man – PUBLICATIONxINxGERxONLY Movie Set People Entertainment Film Setfotografie Filmstill Kultur Filmszene xdp premiumd 2011 quer moviestills zselect Columbiamvs 20110804_sha_l90_202.jpg !ACHTUNG: NUTZUNG NUR BEI FILMTITEL_NENNUNG! Bildnummer 55679297 Date 04 08 2011 Copyright Imago EntertainmentPictures Release Date July 3 2012 Movie Title The Amazing Spider Man Pictured Sally Field As May Parker and Martin Sheen As Ben Parker and Andrew Garfield r As Peter Parker Spider Man 2012 The Amazing Spider Man PUBLICATIONxINxGERxONLY Movie Set Celebrities Entertainment Film Setfotografie Still film Culture Filmmaking XDP premiumd 2011 horizontal movie stills zselect Columbiamvs JPG Regard Use only at

The impact of Heath Ledger in the realms of cinema is not an unknown tale, with almost everyone being in awe of either his performance or the persona he held off the screens. However, for Andrew Garfield, it holds a much deeper place, as it allowed him to breathe with his characters and ultimately nail them.

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What do you think about Andrew Garfield's statement about Heath Ledger? Let us know in the comments below.

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Aliza Siddiqui

1759 articles

Aliza Siddiqui, a seasoned entertainment journalist and primary editor at Netflix Junkie, discovered her passion for storytelling through Anne Hathaway's iconic performance in Princess Diaries. Her love for film was further solidified by the thought-provoking climax of Don't Look Up, which left her in awe of its ability to balance humor and commentary, much like The Dictator and Cunk on Earth, which impressed her with their loud yet subtle haywire references. With a background in writing over a thousand articles at Otakukart, Aliza brings her unique voice and style to her editorial role, where she incorporates her idiosyncratic wit with engaging content.

Edited By: Itti Mahajan

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